Escape
by ellaturner1234
Summary: 23 year old Jackie Walters is accused of a murder she didn't commit. No one believes when she says she's innocent. she's being held at the FBI office and when she has a chance to escape will she take it? or will she do time for a crime she didn't commit?
1. Chapter 1

"You're a dumbass." He looked like he wanted to punch me. His face was red and I could tell he had to use every ounce of control he had to stop himself from hurling something at my head. I didn't care, the feeling was mutual. Plus he_ was_ a dumbass. I told him _seven _times I was five hours away visiting family in Westmont so there was no way I could've killed Mayor John Geats. My alibi checked out and this man knew it he just liked harassing me for some annoying reason. "We've been over this. Why can't you get it through your thick skull that I'm not the murderer?" I crossed my arms and stared lazily at the man before me. FBI agent Don Eppes looked like he was seconds away from physically harming me. He clenched the edge of the metal table until his knuckles turned white and a tic was starting in his jaw. I was pissing him off. And it amused me. But the moment I smiled I knew he would place handcuffs on my wrists. Even though I did nothing wrong if I let him know I was finding this whole thing humorous he would go off the edge and I would end up behind bars. Not how I wanted to spend my night.

He shook his head and his hard eyes pierced into mine. I just shrugged and slumped down in the metal chair I had been forced to sit in. You know maybe I should start from the beginning. Maybe that would clear a lot of things up.

My name is Jackie Walters. I am twenty three years old and a model citizen. Well I was until FBI agent Don Eppes decided that I murdered the mayor of Los Angeles. Me, who knew nothing about the mayor didn't know his name, his age, or the fact that he was found black and blue in a room one floor above mine in the apartment building I was currently living in. I was an innocent civilian. So how Agent Eppes decided I was the murderer is beyond me. I mean god I was five hours away when the mayor was murdered. There was no possible way I could've done it. Well another agent, Sinclair I think, suggested I could've hired someone to off him but why the hell would I want him dead? I didn't know the man! I never went out much and I never watched the news. Too depressing. But that didn't matter, what mattered was they believed I was the murderer.

Here's how it went down. I was sitting in my apartment, just got back from my trip to Westmont , my brown hair in a messy bun, wearing slippers, sweats and a tank top, watching Titanic when six men in bulletproof vests came busting in, guns drawn, yelling freeze or they'd shoot. I, being clumsy and easily scared, shrieked and jumped ten feet landing hard on the hardwood floor. They took that as a sign of me trying to escape. I was immediately handcuffed, never even asked if I was OK, and sent to the FBI's interrogation room where I've been bitched at and yelled at for ten hours straight. They at least had the decency to give me coffee. It sucked but it was caffeine.

I sighed and sat up straighter, ignoring the pain in my back, and leaned my elbow on the surface of the table, placing my chin in my hand. I stared at Agent Eppes who was saying something. I don't know I was ignoring it. Probably bitching at me some more.

I tilted my head and frowned. No matter how frustrating this man was, I had to admit he was one attractive son-of-a-bitch. His muscles flexed under his tight black shirt as he spoke with his hands and his ass was amazing. He had to have been at least ten years older than me. But I've always said I like older guys. More mature.

"What the hell are you saying?" I almost fell out of the chair as his voice interrupted my thoughts. I quickly straightened up and stared at Agent Eppes, "What?"

He was smiling. Actually smiling. Looking minutes away from laughing at me. "You were talking about how amazing my ass was."

"Crap." I have this thing where everything I think I'm thinking, I actually am saying out loud. "Uhm… I didn't." Yes denial. Always works for me.

He actually did start to laugh. He placed his hands on the table and leaned close to me. "I heard you. You also said that I was one attractive son-of-a-bitch." His humorous filled eyes pierced into mine. I was frozen under his gaze. But I could slowly feel my face turning red.

"Uh…. I need to go to the bathroom. Too much coffee. Went right through me." I showed him the almost empty coffee cup and his smile widened, like he knew I didn't have to just wanted to stop his questioning. But he did something that surprised me. He nodded, "OK. But I'm putting you in handcuffs so you don't try to escape." Please. I'm wearing slippers. I'm not going anywhere. Plus even if I did try, this is an office filled with huge, muscular FBI agents, I would be tackled so fast my head would spin. I don't feel like having a two hundred pound guy all muscle throw himself on me. I would probably break. "Like I'm really going to run."

He came over to me and pulled me up out of the cold metal chair. "You tried earlier." He placed my hands in front of me and handcuffed them, then pushed me gently out of the interrogation room and into the main office.

"Please. I was not trying to run." I looked over at him and was shocked to see he was unsuccessfully hiding a chuckle. "Wait… You knew I wasn't trying to run didn't you?" I stared at him, seething, as he just smiled wider. "So you tackled me…why?" He pretended not to hear me the bastard and just pushed me towards the restroom, nodding at the agents as we passed them. I just sighed. When we got to the restroom, I held out my handcuffed wrists which Agent Eppes stared at with confusion. I sighed impatiently, "You can't really expect me to go to the bathroom with handcuffs on." He stared at me for another minute before saying, "Alright, but no funny business." He grabbed the key from his back pocket and unlocked my handcuffs. I scrunched my nose, rubbed my raw wrists, then bolted into the bathroom. I locked the door behind me, I didn't trust him, and looked around for a way to escape. I would not last in jail. A small window by the sink caught by eye. _Thank you, Lord Jesus. _


	2. Chapter 2

**Sorry I haven't updated for a while. Been busy with homework and school projects...but I hope you like this! Yes it's short, I'm sorry.. but I promise the next one will be longer.**

By the time I had gotten the stupid window open, it might as well have been nailed shut, twenty minutes had passed. Don had knocked four times asking what was taking so long. The first three I panicked and just mumbled some nonsense. The fourth time he was pissing me off so I yelled, "My tampons stuck!" There was an awkward cough before I heard, "O-ok. I'll just be out here." Men. I rolled my eyes and got back to the task at hand. Trying to squeeze myself through a hole no bigger than my foot. How the hell I was gonna get through it was beyond me, but it was GOING to happen. I couldn't be here any longer... I could _not _do time for a crime I didn't commit. So as more minutes passed I tried everything I could to squeeze myself through that small window and nothing... my shoulders were too freaking big. I exhaled and climbed off the sink. As soon as my feet hit the ground, as soon as I was about to admit defeat and go treading back to Don, then think of another means of escape, I heard it. Shouts. And what sounded like gunfire... but that couldn't be right...right? Just as I was about to go investigate, the bathroom door burst open. I jumped a good three feet.

Don burst in, gun clutched tightly in his hand, mouth open ready to tell me something...until he saw the open window... Then he just looked at me and all I could do was shrug. There was nothing really to say. He cursed under his breath before grabbing my hand with his free one and yanking me out of the bathroom... Before I could tell him to take it easy, I would like for my shoulder to stay in its socket, we stepped outside the bathroom where pure chaos was happening. There was yelling, there was the sound of glass shattering (I was actually standing on some broken glass), people were shooting at each other, and then there was...blood. I stared in horror at the middle of the FBI office. It seemed that the good guys were on one side of the office and the bad guys on another... and the unfortunate (dead) people were right smack in the middle. Lying in their own blood. I stared at the dead bodies (there had to have been three, four, _five?) _until a hard push shoved me on the ground. I landed on the ground with a thud and stared up at Don with a glare. He dropped down beside me and with his gun pointed to the cubicle that was a foot away from us. Ah ok. I see. We could hide there. I started crawling, Don not far behind. As we crawled around the glass and stray bullets and we made it to the cubicle where I crawled under the desk and Don peered from behind the cubicle to see what was happening, I thought, _when the hell will this be over? _

**Next chapter will be from Don's POV **


	3. Chapter 3

**So here is another chapter! It's in Don's POV. Ok and I'm sorry if he's a little out of character. Just the way I wanted to write this, he had to be a little out of character. If that makes sense...Anyways... still hope you like it! **

What the hell was taking her so long? It sure as hell didn't twenty minutes to go to the bathroom! I'd already knocked three times and all she replied with was some mumbo jumbo that made no damn sense. I let it go the first three times but now this was getting ridiculous. Twenty minutes had passed. _Twenty minutes! _Did she fall into the toilet or something? I decided to go check on her, hoping to god she hadn't and was decent, when I jiggled the doorknob and...it was locked. I let out a curse. Of course. So my only option was to knock, harder and louder than before. This time she replied with, "My tampons stuck!" I opened my mouth once, closed it, opened it again. "o-ok I'll just be out here." Megan should be doing this. Not me. She was a woman and Jackie was a woman. They both were women. Megan should be here.

Just as I was about to go get her, I saw it. In front of a cubicle on the left side of the office, a tall balding man (dressed in a FBI uniform) drew a Glock 23 pistol from the waistband of his pants and then in slow motion, raised it, pointed it, and fired four times. It took five seconds before he was shot in the chest three times and collapsed. It took twenty seconds for the FBI office to suddenly become a war zone. Half of the room was suddenly turning on the other half.

It took thirty seconds for me to draw my gun and kick open the bathroom door. I burst in there, don't think I didn't notice how she jumped and had that face as if she was caught with her hand in the cookie jar, and before I could say anything my attention was immediately drawn to the open window. I stared at it for a few seconds, then my stare switched to her. She simply shrugged. I cursed but grabbed her hand and pulled her out of the bathroom door. She stopped short and I knew she was staring at the battle going on. Minutes ago it was calm and now... People were being shot at, the whole office was torn apart, and in the center of the room were about four or five dead bodies. Suddenly a bullet whizzed past me and I realized we had to duck for cover. So I pushed her to the ground, dropping down beside her, and waved over towards the nearest empty cubicle. She could hide under the desk and I could use the wall divider as a shield. Jackie started crawling towards the cubicle, me not far behind. When we reached it she immediately took residence under the desk and I looked from behind the wall divider to see what was going on. To see if any of my colleagues, my friends, were part of the five dead, and to see if I had a clear shot for the sons of bitches that started this mess.


	4. Chapter 4

**I haven't forgotten about this story! I promise! I started writing this chapter but then...I stopped for no apparent reason. A couple days ago I decided to finish it...and here it is :) **

**Jackie's POV**

Fifteen minutes and nothing had changed. Bullets were still flying, there was still shouting, and I was still chilling under an office desk. Beside Agent Eppes...well I was until he decided to go join his comrades. Anyways, nothing had changed. Except the body count. More agents were going down but then so were the bad guys. Yet suddenly minutes after Don and I had ducked for cover, backup agents burst in from the exit stairwell, immediately being pulled into the war zone. But then it seemed that the FBI office was too small for something like this. And that the number of bad guys was dwindling. I peeked out from under the desk and swore I saw smiles on the agents faces. This was almost over they thought. Well, they were wrong. Just like the agents, backup arrived for the bad guys. But it was in the form of a little hand grenade.

Through the chaos of everything, aka everyone shooting at each other, no one saw the bald man lying in the middle of the war zone, presumed dead from the multiple bullet wounds to his chest and the massive amount of blood he was lying in, pull out a small hand grenade from his pocket, who the heck carries a hand grenade, and with his last dying breath toss the thing behind him into our side.

No saw it. Except me.

I didn't have time to yell, "Holy crap it's a grenade get down!" before it went off. No saw it. So no one prepared themselves for it. Shrapnel went flying, bodies went flying, and suddenly the room went quiet. Deathly quiet. The desk had been somewhat of a shield but I was still thrown back. I was lying on the floor a couple feet away, my neck awkwardly resting on the wall, and the desk on top of me. Boy was it heavy. But I kicked and I pushed until I was free of that damned thing. Then I stood up, stumbled because it felt like most of the desk's weight had been on my legs, and took a good look around. At what was left of the FBI office.

There was some smoke, but not a lot and when I squinted I could see through it but then...maybe I didn't want to see through it. There were a lot of bodies. Sooo many bodies. I could vaguely make out Agent Sinclair and Granger, the ones who brought me in, lying under a piece of drywall... Every agent and every bad guy that had been standing three minutes before, was on the ground. Dead or alive, I don't know. All I know is, looking around, that was one strong grenade. The whole place was leveled. And...there was Agent Eppes lying two feet away from me, on his back, his gun still in his hand, and blood trickling from a wound on his head. I took a step to go help him, god only knows why, before I froze...this was the perfect time for me to escape. For me to run. Every agent in this FBI building was either dead or unconscious. No one could stop me from walking out of what was left of this room and this building. Yes, it may be really mean...but I was being accused of murder. If I stayed here they would continue their 'investigation' probably in another building...and I would be the number one suspect of Mayor Geats death. I would most likely go to prison for a murder I did not commit. Now if I left right now, I could be a free woman. I would probably have to hide in secret for the rest of my life or until they found the real serial killer which then I would come back here and demand an apology from each and every one of these agents...but I could live with that. Better than prison. Or death row. So my decision was quick and easy. I walked out.

**Yeah...i don't really know what happens when someone throws a hand grenade other than things explode. So I just wrote what I think would happen. **


	5. Chapter 5

**Don's POV**

When I came to, one word came to mind. _Shit. _My head was pounding, my back was aching, and I had felt like I was going to vomit. I could hear some voices, some groans mixed with a few curses, and shuffling around. Other agents. Or bad guys. Where was my gun? I sat up quickly and instantly regretted it. My head spun and I suddenly tasted copper. I dropped what was in my left hand, I assumed it was my gun, and heaved up everything I had eaten the last seven days.

When it was done, I spat on the floor beside me hoping to get rid of the bad taste in my mouth. No, it didn't work the foul taste was still there. Then I touched the side of my head, bad idea, wincing when pain shot through me. I brought my hand away and cursed. Blood.

"Don!" I glanced up to see Sinclair standing in front of me. He was covered in dust, his jacket gone, and there were specks of blood on his white shirt, a small gash on his chin dripping. I let out a sigh of relief. At least he was alive.

I gestured to his chin and he touched it, muttering under his breath when he saw the blood. He then pulled out a handkerchief from his back pocket and held it to the cut. He turned his attention back to me with a relieved smile. "I'm glad you're alive. We couldn't see you when this went down and then when the explosion-..." He trailed off and gestured towards the wreckage. "Well I'm just glad you're here." He held out his free hand and pulled me to my feet. I clapped him on the back in thanks and he groaned. "Shit, sorry, David."

I looked around and grimaced. God, this place had been leveled. "What the hell did this?" There were so many bodies. Dead or alive, I couldn't tell. Agents or the sons of bitches that did this..I couldn't tell either. I could only see body parts sticking out from under drywall, the ceiling that had caved in, or the office desks, rolling chairs, computers, tables, glass,...everything had been blown up in the blast and now were in pieces scattered across the room.

There was a big hole in the wall a couple feet away from me. What lights were still intact, flickered on and off. David sighed, "I'm not sure. The bomb squad has been contacted and at this very moment the rest of the building is being cleared." I strained my ears and then nodded. I could faintly hear an alarm signaling to exit the building. "We're just trying to find out now who's dead and who's alive." I looked over and saw a couple agents, scratched up as they may be, move a piece of drywall and uncover the body of another agent. From the looks of it, he seemed to be only unconscious.

"That's good. That's good." I nodded and then frowned. "Wait...where's Colby and Megan?" David was quiet and my hands got sweaty and I could feel my heart start racing. If they were dead... David must've seen the look on my face because he hurriedly assured me, "They're fine, Don. They're fine. Just scratched up but they're fine." I let out a sigh of relief. Thank god. "Megan contacted the bomb squad and called for ambulances, police, whatever she could get. Colby is helping clear the wreckage. I think he broke his wrist but he's still trying to help."

Suddenly, loud sirens filled our ears. We glanced at each other and smiled. Help had arrived.

**Jackie's POV**

It was so easy. Almost too easy. The building was being cleared out, so I just walked out with everyone else. They didn't seem to notice the dust on my clothes or the limp I had acquired. They were too busy scrambling out the building and then staring at the thirty police cars and ambulances and firetrucks and black SUVS that pulled up to even care. Or notice. People in black suits, police officers, firefighters, and paramedics, jumped out of their vehicles and flew into the building. People started gossiping about what could have happened. Maybe there was a hostage situation, maybe there was a bomb, maybe...Then the SWAT team arrived, Bomb team in tow, and people really lost it. Some started crying (roll eyes), and others started frantically asking what the hell was happening.

About five police officers had stayed behind to keep the people from entering the building and to start getting statements from people, maybe people had heard the blast or something I don't know, which meant...It was time to go. Two offices started putting up blockades and do not cross tape. When they weren't looking...I ran. (Well limped really fast but you get the gist.)

**Again, I'm not really sure what happens when a grenade goes off, other than things get blown up, so I'm writing what I think happens. **


	6. Chapter 6

**Don's POV**

I stood where an interrogation room used to be, arms crossed, and looked around what was left of the office. Three hours had passed since the blast. The injured had been taken away by paramedics, the biggest debris had been cleared out, and the people that were left were trying to figure out what the hell happened. Taking samples, analyzing, asking questions. That sort of thing.

I lightly touched the white bandage that covered the five stitches on my left temple. A paramedic had tried to take me into an ambulance but I had said no...I wanted to be here. I wanted to find the bastards that did this, that killed five of our agents, put one in critical, and sent four to the hospital. I couldn't figure that out at the hospital, now could I?

Suddenly a familiar figure passed by my line of vision. "Hey Colby!" He stopped and I strode over to him. I put my hand on his shoulder and he turned around. "Hey man I-" I immediately noticed the the blue sling on his left arm. There was a silence before I asked incredulously, "Why aren't you at the hospital?" But then I knew. From the look on his face, I knew why he hadn't gone. Why he had stayed. For the same reason I had.

Colby shook his head, "They wanted to take me...said that the arm was most likely broken but they wanted x-rays to be sure. I told them it could wait. Just put a sling on it. They could use that ambulance for someone else..." He looked around with another shake of his head. "I can't believe this even happened." I nodded in agreement. Five of our fellow agents were dead. Another was at death's door.

There was a silence before I heard, "I heard about Liz. I'm sorry." Liz. I nodded but swallowed back a lump. Liz had been one of the first few killed, David had said. Shot in the back. She died instantly. "Don if-"

I let out a deep breath and ran a hand over my face, "I don't want to hear it. She's dead. I know, Colby. Right now isn't the best time to fall apart over it. I gotta figure out what happened here and then when I do...I'm gonna make sure it doesn't happen again." I saw Megan on the other side of the room, standing in front of what was once a wall, an annoyed expression on her face and a phone to her ear. "Excuse me, I'm gonna go over there." Colby shook his head with unbelief (which I ignored), as I started to walk over to Megan.

**Jackie's POV**

I stood in the doorway of my apartment and looked around. Wow. This place was a mess. Well, the last time I was in it the FBI had burst in and dragged me away. Well not before searching my place of course. Which is why my place was a mess. Thank you, agents of the federal bureau.

I sighed before stepping over all the crap on my floor and making my way to my bedroom. I would pick that stuff up later. Right now I just wanted to collapse on my bed and cry. I hurt all over. That explosion...plus the running I had to do...really took a toll on me. My legs were killing me (I was sure I had sprained an ankle), my back was aching, and I could feel a migraine coming on. Ugh. When I finally reached the bedroom, I jumped onto my bed. I bounced a little and the bed creaked, but I didn't care. I didn't even move to get under the covers. I just laid there, until I drifted off to sleep.

_I pressed the elevator up button again, bouncing impatiently on my heels. _Come on Come on Come on. _All I wanted to do was go collapse onto my bed and sleep for the next week. Was that too much to ask?I didn't think so..._

_I glanced around the deserted lobby, with the exception of Rick the receptionist who looked mighty bored, and sighed. Everyone was in their beds, asleep. In just a few minutes I could be one of them...But sadly, I could only catch a few hours before I had to get up and go to a family reunion. Five hours away. I sighed again and twirled the end of my ponytail. I hated family reunions. I hated a lot of my family...A sudden realization made me roll my eyes. Great...I had forgotten to pack for the trip. Well screw that, I would just make the visit short. _

_I jumped a little as I finally heard the familiar ding of the elevator doors opening. A relieved smile crossed my face. _Thank god. _I stepped inside and leaned against the back wall, about to close my eyes for just a few minutes when I heard what sounded like someone trying to pry the elevator doors open. My eyes flew open and I saw two men push the closing elevator doors open and step inside, dusting off their black suits. The doors closed._

_I saw them press floor number 6. One above mine. And oh, I didn't press my floor number. Afraid to get near them, they were wearing suits at 12:30 in the morning how weird is that plus they looked like they weren't in the best of moods, I cleared my throat and asked politely, "I'm sorry but could you push 5 for me?" One stared at me while the other nodded and pushed the button. I thanked him and then tried to move into the corner, unnoticed. _

_I could feel one of their gazes still on me and I crossed my arms and swore not to look over. When the elevator doors dinged open at my floor, I all but ran out. I hurriedly scrambled to my door, where I had left it unlocked _again, _and then ran inside where I slammed the door behind me. They gave me the creeps. But then, as I walked to my bedroom and crawled into bed (not even taking my jacket and shoes off) I felt stupid because I remembered that the mayor had an apartment above me. Floor 6. they must have been seeing him...but at 12:30 in the morning? I shook my head though and soon my exhaustion overcame me and I fell asleep._

My eyes flew open. I slowly sat up on the bed, looking around the bedroom in confusion. It took me a moment to realize it had just been a dream. And that I was now a fugitive you could say. But that dream (well more like a memory)...that happened right before I left for Westmont...of course I had cut my family reunion short, I drove five hours only to stay for one day then drive home and be arrested...But those men in the elevator, they looked so familiar. I shook my head and stood up only to fall. Oh right, my ankle. I cursed before grabbing onto the edge of the bed and then collapsing on it...Then it happened.

"Oh my god. Those two guys visiting the mayor...I saw them shooting at the FBI agents this afternoon!" I had to tell Agent Eppes...that had to mean something. But then Eppes would know I escaped. I fell back onto the bed, debating whether or not I should go back and tell Agent Eppes this new found evidence.

**I know it might not make sense now, but I promise it will all come together later on.**


	7. Chapter 7

**Sorry this is like four months late :( I was having a really hard time with this chapter for some reason. I have to warn you, since this chapter is all from Don's POV he gets Ooc some. For that, I apologize again. **

**Don's POV**

Megan didn't even look at me when I stopped in front of her. Her gaze was on the ceiling, fingers clutching her undamaged cell phone to her ear, annoyance from whoever was on the other end of the line increasing. I took that time to take a good look at the agent in front of me. She had a nice bruise forming on her jawline, whether from a fist or debris I couldn't tell. Her clothes had small tears and there were spots of red on her white shirt. I doubted the blood was from her because I couldn't see an open wound anywhere.

My gaze landed on her face when I heard a soft sigh. Megan had ended the call and was shoving the phone into her back pocket. When her eyes met mine I nodded in hello.

She finally took a good look at me and from the look on her face, I must've looked terrible. "Hey, Don." There was a short silence before she sighed again this time louder. "That was the hospital on the phone. That agent that was in critical? Just died." I suddenly felt the wind get knocked out of me. Megan paused. "It was Agent Lee." I cursed, clenching my fists. "His wife is due next month. Seems like a little boy is going to grow up without a father." Anger and exhaustion laced Megan's voice. It was bad enough that they killed fellow agents, friends, but now a little boy was fatherless.

"Dammit!" I looked around at the destruction, fuming. "...One of the shooters, has to still be alive, right? They have to still be in this room, _right_?" I looked at Megan but didn't wait for an answer. "If we can get one to talk, we can figure out why this happened and-"

"Don, they are all-..." She stopped mid-sentence as another woman hesitantly approached us, oblivious to the conversation she just interrupted. Megan raised an eyebrow, "Hello?" She eyed the newcomer then glanced over at me. I frowned slightly before taking a look at the woman in question and...crap. Jackie. I realized the last time I saw her was before the grenade went off.

"Hi." Jackie meekly waved but then her demeanor changed as her eyes swept over me. She grimaced, "You look like crap." Well I felt it. My eyes traveled over her body and I snorted, "You're one to talk." Her brown hair that before the blast had been in a tight ponytail was now still in a ponytail...but half of it had fallen out and was in her face … and from the way she was standing something was wrong with one of her legs. She also looked ready to pass out from exhaustion.

Megan glanced between the two of us, no doubt wondering if she should leave us alone or not.

Jackie rolled her eyes, ignoring me. "I came back because-" but she stopped as she realized her mistake. She cleared her throat and averted her eyes. "I mean..." but it was too late.

There was a pause.

"What do you mean you 'came back'?" I demanded. I folded my arms and inwardly winced as I felt a migraine coming on. Megan let out a sigh before shaking her head and walking in the direction of the exit, only a wave as her goodbye. She no doubt would find me later and ask about this.

Then I almost rolled my eyes, there was no need to ask Jackie that really. I think I knew what she meant. After I had woken up, I hadn't even checked on Jackie. I had forgotten about her, too worried about my fellow agents and the situation at hand. She could have easily walked out of the office, merged with the people being evacuated, and escaped. There were hours unaccounted for. Hours I hadn't seen her and maybe that was because _she just hadn't been there_.

"You left didn't you." Four words that left a bad taste in my mouth. That was bad, letting a murder suspect walk out like that. You don't just do that but then under the circumstances... Jackie hesitantly nodded and I rubbed the back of my neck with an annoyed sigh. "But I came back..." Yeah, she did but that didn't make up for the fact that she left.

"Yeah, you did. Why? Why would you come back? I wouldn't have noticed you were gone for another.. couple days, a week tops. You could be halfway across the country by then. Or in Canada." I stared at Jackie, actually curious about her answer. Any other suspect would've headed to the nearest airport for a one way ticket – so why wasn't she doing that? Why had she come back she had to know I was going to put her in handcuffs again and stick her in a...I looked where the interrogation room used to be. Well, I would find some place to stick her in.

Jackie's eyes honed in on a medic zipping up a body bag. "Well, I went back to my apartment and I took a nap." _What? _"During my nap, I had a dream. Well more like I was remembering something." She scrunched up her nose, her eyes leaving the body bag and meeting mine. "I dreamt about the hours before I left for Westmont." She swallowed and averted her eyes again, focusing this time on a flickering fluorescent light bulb in the corner of the office. "I remember it was 12:30 in the morning. I was in my apartment building waiting for the elevator...When I finally got in two men in black suits came in at the last minute. I thought it was weird that they were wearing suits at 12:30 in the morning...ok I thought it was creepy honestly. They didn't really talk but I figured out they were going to the floor above mine. Where Mayor Geats stayed..." She trailed off and bit her bottom lip. I knew where she was going with this.

"You think the two men in the suits had something to do with the Mayor's death." I lowered my voice with a quick glance around.

Jackie nodded adamantly. "I think the two men killed the Mayor." I wasn't sure if she was making this up to save her own ass, or if she was telling the truth. "Look, the two men I saw in that elevator were two of the shooters I saw earlier-" she pointed to the middle of the office where before the blast it had been almost a war zone, "-over there."

My brow furrowed as I digested this information. "Why? Why would they be here?" I glanced at the destruction around us unaware Jackie was doing the same. "Wait, why am I even listening to this? How do I even know your telling the truth?" I switched my focus back to Jackie, my gaze burning into her skull. "How do I know those two men even existed? You could be making them up just to save yourself-"

She bit back a small shriek in frustration. "You're the FBI Agent! Look, there's security cameras in the lobby, apartment hallways, and elevators of the building I live in, correct? Just review the footage from around the time Mayor Geats was murdered and you'll see I'm telling you the truth! Well, wait...You actually should've reviewed it before you arrested me so you had visual evidence I went into Mayor Geats apartment-" There was a silence and Jackie fumed. "Wow. Then how exactly can you place me at the scene of the crime?" I opened my mouth but Colby came over then, it was apparent exhaustion seeped through every bone in his body. He ignored Jackie, staring at me his good arm cradling his bad. "Don, we found one of the shooters. He's unconscious and on his way to the hospital. Megan's on her way over there and I thought you'd want to meet her there..."

I was left speechless. _They found one of the lowlifes that killed six of our agents and put four in the hospital. _All I could do was nod, dazed, then Colby said something about staying to help some more but he'd meet us there later... I wasn't listening 100%. He walked away headed towards David who was standing in what it seemed his cubicle. Or what was left of it.

I finally realized that I needed to get out of this stupor and actually make my way to the hospital. I started to walk towards the exit (adrenaline, anger, and slight excitement coursing through me) when a small, feminine hand tugged at my shirt and pulled me to a halt. "Don..." Crap. I momentarily forgot about Jackie. Again.

I couldn't leave her I needed her. The urge to just dump her on some one else was strong but I couldn't do it. She was still a suspect and plus if what she had been saying was true then we couldn't let her go now...I didn't have handcuffs on me so I just grabbed her arm and started pulling her towards the exit. "You're coming with me." She opened her mouth to no doubt protest. "I don't want to hear a sound from you." I glared at her.

"...Will you at least look at the security footage when this is cleaned up?" Her tone was desperate. I glanced over at her quickly before pushing her, gently but firmly, in front of me. I nodded hesitantly, "Yeah." When this was cleaned up I would get David or Megan to pick up the security footage from her apartment building. It couldn't hurt, right?


	8. Chapter 8

It happened after the bodies had been cleared. Most of the rubble out of the way. Everyone from the lower floors evacuated and waiting outside in front of the building, one by one being interrogated by police. No one expected it surprisingly. Everyone thought they were safe outside that the danger was over. How wrong they were.

**Inside the FBI Building**

Colby exhaled, wincing as the throbbing in his arm intensified. He really needed to go to the hospital to get that looked at. He glanced around the FBI office, a bead of sweat dripping down his temple, grimacing as his eyes fell on a small streak of blood by a fallen light fixture. He knew whose blood that was. Agent Liz Warner. He knew because he helped move the body (as best he could with a broken arm). He knew because he watched a paramedic zip her in a body bag. He knew because he wiped up that blood, maybe not as good as he thought. He knew because-

"How you holding up?" Colby didn't even blink as David suddenly appeared beside him, looking as exhausted as Colby felt. Colby just looked at him and David sighed. That was a stupid thing to ask. There was a silence before David laid a comforting hand on Colby's back. "We're gonna get the guys who were behind this." Though truthfully David wasn't sure if they would. The one man that could give them any information as to why they were attacked like this...was barely alive. Colby said nothing and David sighed once again, letting silence fall over them as they stared at what hours earlier was their FBI office.

Not even five minutes later they both tumbled to the ground, Colby barely suppressing a groan as he landed on his bad arm. They're confused looks turned to horror as smoke rose past the window.

Their minds swam with scenarios as they both stumbled to their feet and made their way to the door, both bracing themselves for the horrible scene that no doubt awaited them outside, praying that it was no worse than the one they just left.

But nothing could have prepared them for the sight. As soon as they hit the sidewalk they stopped short, blood running cold, heart stopping, body freezing.

Bodies littered the sidewalk and road around them. Bodies of civilians. Policemen. Paramedics. Even a few FBI agents. David fell to his knees, as silence filled the air, not one body moving or making a sound. A quick look told both agents what had happened wasn't a grenade but much bigger. More explosive.

They were frozen like that for what felt like hours but was realistically only minutes until the sound of distant sirens snapped them out of it. David got up as Colby weaved around the bodies, staring at them in a zombie-like state. David shook himself mentally before going to the nearest person to check their pulse though already knowing there would be none.

Colby blinked rapidly, forbidding the tears in his eyes to fall. He had stumbled upon a paramedic that he, not even fifteen minutes ago, had conversed with. He took a shaky breath and bent down to check for signs of life, shutting his eyes when she had no pulse.

**At the hospital**

Don pinched the bridge of his nose as he let out an annoyed sigh. "Are you _sure _that's not one of the men that was in the elevator at your apartment?"

Jackie answered, for the fourth time, "I'm one hundred percent sure. He's too stocky. And his hair's too dark and curly." She leaned against the small window that let them peer into the room the shooter was currently lying unconscious in since no visitors were allowed. The shooter, Luke Phillips, was in bad shape. Shot four times (twice in the chest, twice in the throat) it was a miracle he was alive.

Don exhaled, trying to reign in his frustration. First the doc tells them that Phillips will probably never talk again _if _he wakes up from the coma. Something about both bullets damaging his vocal cords...Second Jackie can't identify Phillips as one of the men from that night at her apartment. Don glared at the unmoving man in the hospital bed. This day just kept getting better and better.

"Don!" Both Jackie and Don turned, slightly startled, to the female agent that jogged up to them, chest heaving, panic in her eyes. She didn't spare a glance at Jackie as the words rushed out of her mouth. "Don, there's just been another attack."

**A/N: This is so very overdue and I'm so sorry! I honestly don't have a good reason as to why it is...Anyway here is the chapter that should have been uploaded _months_ ago! Also, I know Colby and David might be out of character in this chapter, heck they were probably out of character in the previous four chapters, and for that I apologize! I'm trying (I promise I am) to not make everyone out of character but I might be failing...**


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